Well, count THIS poster as a big fan of Wal-Mart. (And no, I don't work for them nor do I have any stock in them, at least not that I know of, unless it's in one of my m.f.'s)
A lot depends on which store and area of the country you are in. Around here, the Wal-Marts in Evansville are usually clean and well-stocked, especially the one closer to my house. As for checking out, it is hit and miss, but if I only have a few items, I usually use the self-check out anyway, so I'm in and out very quickly.
It's not completely fair to Wal-Mart or any other business to make such sweeping generalizations. It's easy to sit back and criticize the big boys, and sometimes they deserve it. Heck, I've done it myself (just read my XOM posts). But the quality of service and efficiency of store operations is often (not always) simply a reflection of the area in which the store operates and the kind of labor/management they can get. And yes, sometimes it even has to do with the type of customers they have. Let's face it...some customers can make a store look really bad, tearing up stuff, moving #@$%! around, knocking stuff over and breaking things, messing up the restrooms, letting their kids destroy the place, intimidating other customers, etc. Now I know this doesn't apply to anyone on BITOG, but...
For me, a quick way to gauge the efficiency of an operation is to check out the bathrooms. If they are generally clean, well-stocked, and well-maintained, then that is usually a good sign that the store runs pretty much the same way. (Again, this is just an indicator...not an always-thing.)
Some areas just can't get anyone who cares (including managers and customers), and some can. As for me, at this point, and in this area, Wal-Mart will continue to get my business because they deserve it. Apparently, I'm not alone.
